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West London Terror Suspect
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Abu Qatada - a Palestinian by birth - lives in a modest semi-detached house in Acton, West London. He has lived in this country since 1993 when he arrived as a political refugee. But a week ago the Treasury published a list of 38 individuals and organisations who - in the official phrase - "are believed to have committed, or pose, a significant risk of committing or providing material support for acts of terrorism". All their assets were frozen. Mr Qatada appeared on that list, but he denies any wrongdoing.
"I do not belong to any group or any organisation whether terrorist or jihadi - and I say jihadi because you call jihadi terrorist," he said. "I'm a Muslim who believes in Islam. I believe in jihad and I believe in the necessity of liberating our nation and freeing it from bondage".
The British treasury is not alone in suspecting Mr Qatada. On September 23rd the US government published an executive order blocking terrorist property and outlining sanctions against terrorists; it named Mr Qatada on a list of "specially designated global terrorist individuals".
According to press reports - which he denies - Mr Qatada was in control of a bank account with 拢180,000 in it. By his own admission he lives on state benefits. A spokesman for the Department of Social Security has confirmed that his benefits have been suspended, pending investigation. But Mr Qatada believes he's being singled out because he fits western preconceptions of a terrorist suspect.
"I've said many times in this country you just wanted a target to shoot at and you wanted someone to talk about," he said. "And I think I'm a very suitable person for this target practice. Until now I've worn Arab dress, I have a beard and it's very easy for them to choose someone like me to shot at. There's no need to write anything or find any evidence. All they need to convict me is to publish my photo. That's enough from a western point of view. This is the truth".
Abu Qatada denies any involvement in the attacks of September 11, but won't condemn them. And the imam who, often preaches and teaches in local mosques, says he doesn't believe that America has yet proved a case again Osama bin Laden.
Mr Qatada was sentenced to life imprisonment, in his absence, by a court in Jordan for terrorist acts but he's never been charged with any offences here, although in February he was taken in for questioning by the police in the course of investigations into possible terrorist operations.
He believes that the current flurry of interest in him has been provoked by a campaign based on false information used to blacken his name. And he believes what's happened to him is consistent with a much wider campaign which has coloured judgement since the attacks in America.
But despite it all Mr Qatada - who has a wife and small daughter living with him in Acton - finds Britain a good place to live; better, certainly, in some ways than his homeland.
"There's no doubt one feels safe here", he said. "More so than at home. But it's obvious there are some practices here which are not clean. Whether by the press or the security services. They're trying to disturb me, flush me out like a bird, which they can then shoot".
LINKS
to the House of Commons announcing action of funding on terrorism and the govt's Action Plan - http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/speech/cx_151001.html
who suspected by the govt of committing, or posing a significant risk of committing, or providing material support for, acts of terrorism - http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/
pressreleases/2001/108.htm.
on "What you need to know about US sanctions" - http://www.ustreas.gov/terrorism.html - . |
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